Timeline From The Past: Warsaw-Winona Lake Merger, Slot Machine Raid
From the Files of the Kosciusko County Historical Society.
Editor’s note: This is a retrospective article that runs a few times a month on InkFreeNews.
July 31, 1967 — A former Syracuse man numbers among a group of four skilled mountain climbers still missing today as air and ground search parties continued rescue efforts off snow-shrouded Mt. McKinley near Anchorage, Alaska.
Hopes that Jerry Clark, son of the late Dr. Fred Clark, a longtime practicing physician in Syracuse, and his three remaining companions might still be alive appeared to be fading as rescuers pressed their search. A wind-swept snow storm on Mt. McKinley today smothered most of the hopes. The storm was expected to last up to 72 hours. *Follow-up, issued Aug. 5, 1967 — “There is no hope anyone is alive.”
July 26, 1962 — Kosciusko County Sheriff Howard “Sam” Holbrook led a raid Tuesday evening upon the American Legion Post in Syracuse within a few hours after a disclosure of the U.S. Treasury Department’s list of gambling machine tax stamp purchasers.
One expensive electric slot machine was seized as well as two cookie jars, 13 cookie jar refills, two packages of tip-boards, nine punchboards and eight boxes of match-folder-type pick and win tickets.
July 27, 1955 — Although Winona Lake and Warsaw officials were playing a very close game today regarding reports that there had been some discussion on the possibility of merging the town and city, there was ample evidence that such a proposal is receiving some consideration.
No one in an official capacity wished to be quoted.
However, one member of the Winona Lake town board said there had been some talk among board members on this subject and that he thought it would be a good idea.
On Aug. 3, Winona Lake town board members issued a statement in which they termed as “false impressions” reports that they had considered a possible merger between Winona Lake and Warsaw, and in which they stated they were opposed to such a suggestion.
– Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels